Appointment of Council trustees

Council trustees take on a really important role at Which?, being both charity trustees and company directors. Trustees are responsible for setting the strategy of the group to enable the charity to deliver its charitable purpose; providing scrutiny, support and stretch to the commercial Which? Limited Board and the leadership team to drive progress and deliver impact. They also steward the charity to make best use of its resources, thereby also protecting and conserving its assets for tomorrow's consumers as well as those of today. They do not receive any payment for the time they commit in governing the charity.

You can read about our governance structure here, and find out more about the role of Council and its trustees by clicking below. You can also meet our Council of Trustees here.

Who can apply to become a trustee?

Our Trustee applications are open to everyone. If you aren't an ordinary member of the Consumers' Association already, you'll need to become an ordinary member if you are successful in your application.

How long can a trustee serve?

New trustees are appointed for an initial term of around three years, subject to member approval at the first AGM following their appointment. They can ordinarily serve up to three terms of three years, so a total of nine years. For trustees appointed from 2025 onwards the expectation is that they will serve two terms, enabling regular refreshment of skills and diversity. Only in exceptional circumstances can a trustee be reappointed after nine years.

How will we seek applications for vacant trustee positions?

Trustee vacancies are advertised.

All trustees are appointed by Council following a search-and-selection process led by the Nominations Committee, which focuses on the skills and experience required on the Council, and takes account of the governing bodies equity, diversity and inclusion strategy.

If a trustee is eligible to serve for a further term, the Nominations Committee considers their skills and experience in relation to the Council’s needs along with their ability to commit time to the role, before a recommendation is made. This year no trustees are eligible for reappointment.

How and when are members invited to vote on trustee appointments?

Members vote for trustees over a three-year cycle. Trustees are recommended by the Council of Trustees and new trustees appointed by the Council must be approved by members within a year of their appointment. Our members also need to approve the reappointment of each trustee recommended for reappointment after three years of service. If the majority of member votes cast for a trustee do not support their appointment or reappointment then that individual will cease to be a trustee. All members who are eligible to vote* should expect to receive their personal copy of a voting pack towards the end of October.

This year three trustees are recommended for appointment. Click below to view the 2026 voting booklet, which explains the voting process and summarises the skills and experience that these trustees bring. 

*Members who are eligible to vote are ordinary members of the Consumers' Association and subscribers who have subscribed to Which? products or services for 12 months or more. For ordinary members, the invitation to vote on trustee appointments and reappointments is sent in the form of the Notice of Annual General Meeting and proxy form which they can expect to receive towards the end of October each year.

Voting results for 2025 trustee reappointments

The results of the 2025 voting process were announced at our AGM on 29 November 2025. All four trustees who were recommended for appointment and reappointment received a majority vote from members and were reappointed until the 2028 AGM. The voting results can be viewed below.

If you have any questions, please get in touch by emailing council.appointments@which.co.uk